Don't Think Yourself so Innocent
by Retro-7
Summary: The Earl's conscious loves to eat at him when he sleeps.


A/N: Takes place immediately after chapter 223

Warning: some freaky dream shit and Earl/Adam/Mana bashing

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Don't Think Yourself so Innocent

It was one of those nights again. Those nights where Adam crawled onto his bed and curls himself into a ball and wails himself to sleep forbidding any of his noahs from entering his room. How did it all go wrong? All he wanted was a peaceful life with his family, his whole family, including the 14th.

He's so selfish, and power hungry, and destructive, but he loves him regardless.

He just wants him home. By his side.

It was _his_ fault. He's the cause of it! Damn Mana.

He hates him so much.

The anger exhausted him enough for him to sleep. Without Road to help him through the dream world, he was on his own battling the inevitable nightmares to come.

The world was black before shifting to a familiar setting. It was the original Ark, Adam noticed. He wandered around the place he vowed he would never return to stopping before the door to the library; he heard voices and laughter behind the door. He opened it and he felt one of the greatest shocks of his life.

Seated at the table was Neah, but he was bouncing a child on his knees, chatting and laughing with the red-haired kid. Across the table was the man that he dedicated so much of his hate towards, Mana Walker. He shook with a mixture of emotions that shouldn't mix. Love, hate, confusion, and anger.

They don't seem to notice the intruding man as they continued their conversations. Adam couldn't move or speak. He just watched the scene before him.

"Aww, Allen you got your hair cut! I thought you were already cute enough with a ponytail, but now you're even cuter than ever!", the 14th cooed over his nephew.

"Uncle, you're so embarrassing, stop it! Stop teasing me!", Allen squish Neah's face playfully earning a chuckle from Mana.

"I couldn't help it! You can be so cute when you're mad!", the uncle patted the child's hair.

"I'm not cute!", Allen denied.

"I beg to differ.", the long haired man countered.

"Say, the circus is coming tomorrow, and I was wondering if you want to go?", Neah asked the child whose eyes glistened and glowed at the mention of the circus.

"Can we? Dad can we go?", the boy turned toward his father.

"We can, but we would have to ask the other Mana.", they all turned to face Adam, the casual, friendly atmosphere dissipated and transformed into something more ominous. The sudden dead silence took him by surprise.

"W-why are looking at me for?", the terrified man asked.

"Can I go to the circus, Mana?", the boy asked, the innocent tone of his words seemed uncanny, not quite right.

"I'm not Mana!", he stammered.

"Of course you are.", Neah said pulling his nephew closer and rested his hand on top of his red hair.

"I'm not!"

"Then who are you?", Allen asked while kicking his feet playfully. He gave a soft smile.

"I'm The Millennium Earl! My name is Adam!", Adam clutched his chest.

"Are you sure?, Mana asked tilting his head skeptically.

"You're Mana!", Adam pointed toward Mana.

"Yes that's right, I am!", Mana happily replied giving the Earl a goofy grin.

"Then why are you calling me Mana?"

"Because you are.", Mana responded casually as if this screwed up situation was completely normal.

"I'm Adam!", he shouted. He's losing his damn mind. This isn't real!

"Adam doesn't exist anymore. He disappeared and never came back.", Allen's words were void of emotions. The shine from his giant eyes were gone and gave off the air of knowing something he doesn't. Like a secret he's proud of keeping.

"What do you mean?", Adam asked almost whispering those words.

"None of us were supposed to exist, you know…" , the child replied.

"Why don't you take a seat with us? I can make you a cup of tea! How many cubes do you want? I know you can have quite the sweet tooth.", Mana offered. He pulled the chair next to him.

"No, no… I refuse!", he shot down the offer.

"Why?", Mana looked a little hurt by the rejection.

"Because I hate you, Mana- Neah killed his own kin…", his voice cracked a bit, "He aligned himself with the Black Order, you both hurt me in ways unimaginable! Traitors both of you!"

"Does that mean you hate me then?", Neah asked.

"No. I'll never hate you- but that doesn't mean I'm not mad at you, that I hate what you did. I hate Mana, not you. I hate _Mana's_ Neah, but never you.", Adam explained.

"What did I ever do to you?", Mana questioned. Adam's body shook with rage. How _dare_ he ask what he did wrong! He _knows_ what he did!

"YOU TOOK NEAH AWAY FROM ME! YOU MADE ME AND NEAH KILL EACH OTHER. YOU ARE THE CAUSE OF THIS!", the Earl screamed balling his hand into tight fists. A vain was popping out of his neck and his skin was slick with sweat.

"Oh…", was all Mana said to Adam's outburst. There was that uncomfortable silence again as the three Walkers stared at the Earl with a surprised expression. Then they laughed as if Adam just said a funny joke.

"You're funny daddy.", the boy giggled. "What's that?", Allen lifted up a Road doll (Wait where did that came from? He wasn't holding that before!) and he pressed his ear to her mouth.

"Well then who's fault is it that he didn't know sooner.", the child scolded the doll.

"Hmmm, name calling again… that's not nice.", he paused, "Then too bad you're not here then. I can do what I want and say what I feel like saying.", the child giggled.

"Awwww, what's the dolly's saying?", Neah gushed over his nephew's antics.

"Nothing important. Just stupid things.", he huffed twirling the doll's hair.

"You guys are insane…", Adam shook his head.

"And you're not?", Mana grinned all too smugly.

"I hate you so much", the Earl declared.

"I know. And I hate you back. And you know why?", Mana got up and strolled over to Adam so blasé it intimidated the shaken Millennium Earl. He leaned in smiling.

"I hate you, with every fibre of my existence, because you're the cause of everything~", he singed.

"You ate me, Mana- You chased me, Mana- I never felt safe in your presence. It was always you that I hated the most.", the 14th's eyes turned black as he grinned wide. "You didn't even hear me out! You pushed me away and brushed off my claims until it was too late. I expected you to attack me, like a damn dog. I was only defending myself from both you and the others! But regardless, I was painted as the traitor and you presented yourself as the poor, poor victim. Do you think I enjoyed killing my own kin? I felt their pain as I killed them! I mourned them and cried after every battle! They haunted my conscious until the day I died!", the noah of destruction accused.

"I lost my brother, and my sanity that day.", Mana brought up.

"I lost my father twice, and I lost myself forever. Red has gone into oblivion with Adam in tow. I had to borrow my father's mask to endure the pain. And it's because of _you_.", Allen testified.

"Quiet!", Allen violently smashed the doll against the table. The sudden action made the Earl jump.

"Now stop it, you're going to spill your tea.", Mana chided his son.

"Sorry Dad.", Allen pouted. His expression would've been cute had the situation not been this fucked up. Adam pulled at his hair and closed his eyes tightly trying to will himself to wake up.

"Wake up-Wake up-Wake up!", he felt a tug on his coat; he opened his eyes and saw Allen's giant gray eyes looking up at him.

"Can we go to the Circus, dad?", Allen held Adam's hand and led him away swinging the doll he held as he sung about the circus. He doesn't know why he's letting any of this happen. He just followed the red-headed child. He quietly noted that they weren't at the Ark anymore, where they were was a mystery. But he felt like he had been here before, he just doesn't remember.

"What are you excited to see? I want to see the clowns! I can't wait to see them juggle and balance on balls!", the boy joyfully spoke.

"Stop please!", Earl pleaded.

"But dad!"

"No don't call me that!", silence again.

"Okay then, but I have a surprise for you~", an uncomfortable smile stretched across Allen's face. "I don't want it!", Earl tried to sound authoritative but his voice cracked.

"Too bad, turn around.", he did and saw that familiar tombstone, on it was written 'MANA WALKER'.

"This is yours."

"No, it's-"

" **SO MAYBE NOW I COULD TURN YOU INTO AN AKUMA!** ", Allen ripped his nails into the doll's belly causing the stuffing to spill out, " **OR PERHAPS YOU'D RATHER BE CURSED FOR ALL ETERNITY!** ", he bit the doll's head ripping it off and spitting it on the floor, " **WOULDN'T YOU LOVE TO SEE THE CRUELTY YOU INFLICT ON OTHERS ON FULL DISPLAY- HAVING TO FACE THE UGLINESS YOU CAUSED! THE DECAYED STATE YOU LEFT THEIR SOULS IN!** ", the child screech. The ground shakes and the air bellows around the crazed child.

"They made a deal!", the Earl justified himself.

" **YOU MADE A DEAL WITH CHILDREN, THE EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE, AND THE MENTALLY ILL, WHO WERE IN NO SHAPE TO MAKE DEALS! I WAS** _ **10**_ **WHEN YOU SOLD ME SNAKE OIL! AND WHAT OF THE SOULS YOU STOLEN FROM HEAVEN! DID YOU ASKED THEM?** ", Allen's voice became distorted and very painful to listen to. He raked his nails across his face leaving deep gashes across his face; his hair turned bright white and his cursed scar appeared.

" **JUDGMENT DAY HAS COME FOR YOU AT LAST. NOW REPENT, YOU LOWLY ANT, FOR EVERY PERSON YOU EVER DID THIS TO. EVERY AKUMA YOU MADE AND EVERY LIFE YOU TOOK AWAY. GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU.** ", He activated his innocence and charged at the Earl.

" **DON'T WORRY I'LL MAKE YOUR CURSE MATCH MINE. LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.** ", Allen stuck Adam through his left eye, his skin and hair paled. An explosion of agonizing pain dominated his face. Allen's wicked smile was the last thing he saw before he screamed.

"Lord Millennium wake up!", the Earl shot up with sweat dripping down his face. He saw that he's awake now with his family surrounding his bed. They all looked worried and upset.

"It's alright, we're here. There's no need to worry!", Wisely hugged his lord tightly.

The Earl breath heavily happy to be awake, but his heart is now riddled with guilt. He shook uncontrollably and started weeping. He want to see Neah and Allen again more than ever before, if only to say sorry.

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A/N: "but we would have to ask the other Mana"- Oh shit, Bass drop!

Well I feel like I haven't traumatized the fandom enough with my angst riddled fanfictions, so here's another.

If you're wondering why Allen has the Road doll, it's because Roads trying to establish a connection to the Earl's nightmare and put a stop to it. But she's so weak that it didn't do anything. Allen biting her head off is him killing the connection and casting Road out.

Please comment, critique, and give suggestion if you would like!


End file.
